Located at the center of the campus, the Charles E. Shain Library offers a collection of more than 500,000 books and periodicals, along with an extensive collection of electronic resources. The Library officially reopened on March 23, a full five months earlier than anticipated. Some of the new features include:

The Technology Commons, which includes two gifts from Diane Y. Williams ’59: A Christie MicroTile Visualization Wall and a bank of high-performance workstations. The Visualization Wall is the first of its kind among New England liberal arts colleges and allows students and faculty to view projects on a large, high-quality “digital canvas.” Nearby, an area with high-performance, dual-monitor workstations are able to run the most demanding software applications.

The Digital Scholarship and Curriculum Center, which uses advanced instructional technology tools to help faculty develop innovative teaching methodologies and help students produce quality multimedia projects.

The Academic Resource Center (ARC), which offers programming that supports academic excellence to help all students reach their highest scholastic potential. ARC also houses Student Accessibility Services and provides space for tutors and the career services program to work with students.

Ten reservable collaboration rooms, each outfitted with whiteboard walls and LCD panels on which students can share laptop displays.

Two new reading rooms on the second and third floors, which each hold 32 individual study spaces.

A bigger Blue Camel Café, the popular coffee and snack shop, which is located in a prominent first-floor spot and doubles as a 24-hour study space.

A much more robust wireless network infrastructure to handle the ever-increasing digital load.

Electrical outlets near every seat in the building to keep laptops, phones and other devices charged.

A living room-style area just inside the front doors that will be ideal for receptions and other events tied to the Chu Room and serve as casual study space at other times.

An expansive plaza that replaced what was commonly known as the “moat” in front of the building.

The Shain Renovation

Vice President for Administration Ulysses Hammond, President Katherine Bergeron and Adam Moore, senior project manager for KBE Building Corporation, review construction plans for Shain Library.On July 31, 2014 the first windows were removed from Shain. The replacement windows will allow more natural light into the building.

The space behind the new retaining wall in front of Shain Library gets filled, becoming a new walkway and outdoor plaza.Watch as the concrete facade is removed from Shain Library on August 19, 2014.

Through careful movement, construction workers placed some 24 glass panels on the western facade of the library. Each panel measures nearly 10 feet high.On the main floor, this photograph faces the main door and vestibule.

Building interior during reconstruction.The new space incorporates modern design.

College staff experience an early walk-through as Shain nears completion. The Blue Camel Cafe, flooded with natural light in this new space, functions as a 24-hour study space.

Workers define building exterior and install new windows.The Academic Resource Center offers programming that supports academic excellence, houses Student Accessibility Services, and provides space for tutors and the career services program to work with students.

The new Christie MicroTile Visualization Wall allows students and faculty to view projects on a large, high-quality "digital canvas."Lee Hisle, Vice President for Information Services and Librarian of the College, shows off the inspiring stairwell art.

Reservable collaboration rooms allow students to share laptop displays with whiteboard walls and LCD panels.The library officially opens a full five months early!